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(No Model.) I G. A. CARDWEL L 85 P. K'. FITCH.

, TRANSMITTER FGR HAR'MONIG PRINTING TELEGRAPHS'. No. 335,682. PatentedFeb. 9, 1886;

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GEORGE A. OARDIVELL, OF BROOKLYN, AND FREDERICK K. FITCH, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO JOSEPH 'I. MUR- RAY, OFNEVVAR-K, NEW JERSEY.

TRANSMITTER FOR HARMONIC PRlNTlNG TELEGRAPHS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,682, dated February9, 1886. Application filed December 17, 1884. Serial No. 150,585. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, Gnonen A. GARD- WELL, a'citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, and FREDERICK K. FITcH, a citizen of the United States, residingat New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Transmitters forMultipleX-Telegraph Systems; and we do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings,which form part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a diagram or plan View of thetransmitter, the bodies of the keys being omitted to showcontact-points. Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the keys.

In an application of even date herewith, filed in the name of George A.Cardwell,there is shown and described a system of transmitting andrccordingtelegraphic signals involv ing the method of permutating toneor equivalent currents and causing the separate signals to be printed inresponse to the conjoint action of different currents.

In said application reference is made to a key-board or transmitter,wherein the keys, arranged in alphabetical order, are made to make andbreak several contacts of a local battery-circuit,so as to first prepareor adjust the distributer or receivingapparatus,and then cause the sameto close currents of a local battery through printing-magnets. Thiskey-board constitutes the subject of the present application; and theinvention to which it relates consists in the novel construction andcombination of parts, as hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

The distributer having been fully described in the concurrentapplication of George A. Oardwell, it will be unnecessary to repeat thedescription 5 hence we will confine ourselves to the specialconstruction of key-board found most convenient and suitable for thepurpose for which it is intended.

The key-board, as the term suggests, consists of a bank of keys mountedin a suitable frame having suitable connections for the attachment ofcircuitwires and other append- 5o ages of an electromagnetic instrument.These keys may be arranged conveniently side by side in alphabeticalorder, or they may be dis posed in several banks. "We have showntwenty-seven keys, the last being a spacing key. The button on each keybears its appropriate character or letter. The keys A are supported byflat springs A, which are attached to a cleat or other support, Callowing the keys to be depressed, and when released to assume theirnormal positions.

1 2 3 4 designate four electroniagnet-s in branch circuits with a localbattery, 5. These magnets are adapted when energized to control each thetransmission of a separate tone or equivalent current, which is analyzedby the receiving apparatus. The special construction of such magnetsneed not be detailed. The keys are intended to close and open certaincircuits through these magnets in the or der required for the operationof the distributer, and hence the battery 5 has branches leading to thecontact-points of the keys by way of the magnets. One pole of thebattery is in branch connection with the contact- 7 5 points, while theother pole has abranch from.

its main conductor to each key. The outcoming line from each magnet isso branched as to provide common circuits for several keys.

Then a key is depressed, it first closes a circuit through one magnet,and this being immediately broken the key closes circuit, with someexceptions to be hereinafter noted, through two magnets, so that asingle toneimpulse is first sent over the line to the distributer,causing an adjustment or preparation thereof, and then two tones aresent conjointly, so as to effect the printing of a character.

F designates a contact spring-plate attached to the key at its rear endand extending for- 0 ward. These plates,which are insulated from thekeys by rubber blocks F, are in common circuit, and are connected by awire, G, with one of the poles of the battery 5.

G designates an insulated upright spring- 5 plate having a beveled heador protection, against which impinges a pin, G on the side of the key. Abell-crank lever, G is pivoted to a standard, H, on the key, and carrieson the under side of its horizontal limb, near the free end thereof, aplatinum contact-stud, H, designed to maintain contact with the spring Fwhen the key is depressed,while at the same time contact is made betweenthe key by pin G and the plate-spring G. A standard, H carries a pivotedS-shaped cam, H thelower portion of which is bent laterally, and soshaped as to provide an inclined lip at i, leaving a V-shaped cavity,2', between the inner surface of the lip and the opposing side of thestandard H. A spring, 2', presses against the upper end of the device Hand tendsto maintain the lower edge of the lip t in contact with thestandard H The depending limb of the bell-crank G has alaterally-projecting finger, G, which when the key is in its normalposition lies directly above the cavity 71. Now, when the key is not inuse, the contact between the spring F and the bell-crank G is complete.When the key is depressed, the finger G impinges against the innersurface of the lip 01, and moves the latter outwardly while circuit iscompleted through the key and the spring G, thus sending at first apreparatory impulse to the distributer. As the key descends the finger Gpasses the lip ton its inner side and the contacts at G are broken.

L L designate contact-springs in circuit with transmitting-magnets ofthe series 1 2 3 4, and M M are pins depending from the under side ofthe key, and so arranged that after the contact G is made and brokencircuits will be made through the springs L L and the pins M M from thebattery V through two transmitting-magnets, which may include one ofthemagnets already energized.

In general the contacts L L M Mare made simultaneously; but in someexceptional instances one impulse should anticipate the other, in orderto avoid the establishment of a false or short circuit in thedistributer. So, too, in some cases, instead of making two circuitsthrough the contacts L L M M, but one circuit is required, thedistributer being so arranged that in these cases the printing-magnetresponds to asingle impulse, instead of to a permutation.

As the key rises it first breaks circuit at L L M M, allowing thedistributer to assume its normal condition; but in order to prevent thepreparatory circuit from being reestablished and the distributerdisarranged, the renewal of the preparatory circuit is avoided by thefinger G and lip 11, the latter moving the bell-crank lever so that thecontacts H F are separated and heldv apart until the pin G passes thespring G, when contact is immediately made at H F, while the circuit isopen at G G.

We have especially described that form of key which we think bestadapted for the use for which it is designed; but we do not wish to beconfined to any special construction,

since the same object may be attained by various mechanical expedients.

Our invention lies, broadly, in the provision of a key which will firstmake and break a preparatory circuit, then make the printingcircuit, andfinally resume its normal position without remaking the preparatorycircuit.

In fact, our invention may be considered to embrace any transmitting keywhich will make and break not only three, but any number of circuits,from two on, one circuit being a preparatory circuit and the othersactual working-circuits.

We have referred to the key-board as an expedient to be employed inprinting-telegraphy, but it is obvious that it may be used in switchingoperations in connection with a distributer, when, instead of relayingcurrents through printing-magnets, it will relay circuits to variouslines diverging or radiating from the distributer, as from a centraloffice or switching station. Thus a key may be depressed so as to effecta preparatoryadjustment' of the distributer, after which a succession ofimpulses through the contacts L L M M, according to the Morse or othersystem, will affect a sounder or recorder on the line corresponding tothat in which the printing-magnet is now situated, and this line mayproceed to any distant point.

\Vhat we claim is 1. In a telegraphic transmitting apparatus, thecombination of a series of electro-magnets adapted to close circuitsover a main or trunk line-or lines, alocal battery or generator incircuit with said magnets, and a series of keys in branch circuits ofthe battery, each of said electromagnets having circuit-wires branchedor subdivided and leading to different keys, and each of said keys beingprovided with contact-closing devices constructed and arrangedsubstantially as described, whereby when a key is depressed it willclose a circuit from said battery through two or more of saidelectromagnets, as set forth.

2. A telegraphic key having two or more pairs of contact-points relatedto different circuit-lines, and means, substantially as described, formomentarily closing one circuit in advance of the other or others whenthe key is depressed, and for maintaining the break inthe open circuituntil the key assumes its normal position, as set forth.

3. The combination of the key A, stern A, spring-plate F, bell-cranklever G cam H, and contact-springs L L G, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis 9th day of December, 1884.

' GEORGE A. GARDWELL.

FREDERICK K. FITCH. Witnesses:

Tnos. A. CONNOLLY, GEORGE F. ESCHBACH.

